solostii



No. s|s,474.

Patented Ian. 3|, I899. C. H. LEONARD G. L. H. SOLOSTH.

KNOCKDOWN REFRIGERATOR.

(Application filed. Nov. 22, 1897.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES emmcw "m5 ucmms FETERS 0o, mow-Drum. WASHINGTON. n. c.

NITE STAT ATENT ICEQ CHARLES H. LEONARD AND LARSII. SOLOSTI'I, OF GRANDRAPIDS, MICHIGAN; SAID SOLOSTI-I ASSIGNOR TO SAID LEONARD.

KNOCKDOWN REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,474, dated January31, 1899.

Application filed November 22, 1897. Serial No. 659,408. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. LEONARD and LABS II. SOLOSTH, citizensof the United States,residing at Grand Rapids,in the county of Kent andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inKnockdown Refrigerators; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

7 Our invention relates to improvements in knockdown refrigerators; andits object is to provide a device that can be readily taken apart andcleaned, shipped, or stored, and to provide the same with certain othernew and useful features hereinafter more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse verticalsection on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective detail of a folding shelf;Fig. i, a perspective detail of one of the connectingwires of saidshelf; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail perspective of one corner of theice-chamber lining; Fig. 6, a detail showing the detachable fasteningfor the drip-pipe, and Fig. 7 an enlarged detail of the lower angle ofthe ice-box lining.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A A represent the ends of the case, and B B the front and back,respectively, of the same. The front and back overlap the edges of theends and are secured thereto with suitable screws 0 or other detachablefastenings. At the top of the case is a suitable frame D, detachablysecured by like fastenings E, upon which frame the top or cover F issupported. The bottom G is detachably held in place upon cleats H H andprovided with a lining I,

having an upturned edge 1, extending upward back of the lower edges ofthe lining of the ends, front, and back, which latter have their loweredges folded, so as to extend downwardly inside of the upturned edge ofthe bottom lining, thence over the top of said edge, and thence downoutside of the same, whereby said bottom and side linings are detachablyinterlocked, as shown at I in Fig. 1.

J represent-s the bottom of the ice-chamber, having suitable openingsfor the air-currents and detachably supported on cleats K, attached tothe front and back of the case.

L is the bottom lining of the ice-chamber, resting on the bottom J andhaving its edges L upturned all around and folded at the corners, as atL, and also provided with a central opening R for the escape of coldairand a rear opening S for the escape of water into the drip-pipe T.The ends of the ice-chainber are formed of plates M M, which plates arelocated at a distance from the ends of the case by means of strips Q, inthe respective angles of the case, thus forming the uptake- .flues U U.Said plates are folded at their respective ends, first at right anglesand then two return bends, thus stiffening the plates and also formingvertical grooves at each end,

in which are detachably inserted the edges of the front and rearlining-plates N. The lower edges of the plates M M N N all rest in theangles of the bottom lining L, and said plates are bent outward slightlyat their lower edges to form a space between their outer surface and theupturned edges L to prevent water from rising between the same bycapillary attraction.

place and separately removable without any special fastenings or the useof solder or rivets and at the same time are sufficiently tight toproperly direct the water and the air-current-s.

The drip-pipe T is detachably held in place by means of adownwardly-extended strip 1;, of flexible material, having a recess Wand folded upon itself, forming a spring-arm X. Said strip is engagedwith a staple Y in the back of the case, said staple entering therecess'W and held therein by the outward pressure of the spring-arm Xand detachable therefrom by pressing'the pipe T backward and upward.

The folding shelf consists of strips 0, of sheet metal, turned intubular form at their respective edges to stiffen them and also toreceive the connecting-wires P, which wires The bottom, ends, and sidesof the ice-chamber are thus securely held in turn freely in said tubularsides and are bent twice at right angles, forming lateral extensions lequal in length to the space between the axes of the tubular sides ofthe strips and portions parallel to the part I? to engage the tubularedges of the adjacent strips. The strips are thus foldable one upon theother to reduce the width of the shelf when in use to permit a tallarticle to extend above the same in the event said article should be toohigh to go between the shelves or for packing and storage. Said shelvesare supported upon ledges P, formed in the end linings by folding thesame inwardly at right angles, and thence downwardly and out wardly atan acute angle, and thence downward at an acute angle, as shown in Fig.1.

By the described construction we avoid all use of solder, which does nothold well on galvanized iron. lVe are also able to remove all thevarious shelves, the drip-pipe, and the sides and bottom lining of theice-chamber and to separate the same into detached parts for storage orcleaning, and by removal of a few screws or other suitable fasteningsthe outer case can be separated into the respective ends, front, back,top, and bottom, and thus readily cleaned or packed and shipped orstored in small compass.

' Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and wish tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a refrigerator a detachable ice-box liniug consisting of aremovable bottom in combination with two end plates and two side plates,each plate being independently removable, and supported in place byengagement at its ends with two of the other plates substantially asdescribed.

2. In a refrigerator, a detachable lining consisting of ends folded ateach side to form vertical grooves, sides having their edges engagingsaid grooves, and a bottom having upturned edges embracing said sidesand ends, substantially as described.

In a refrigerator, adetachable ice-chamber lining, consisting of abottom having an opening for escape of cold air, and an opening forescape of water, an upturned outer edge, and folded corners; end platesfolded at each side, once at right angles and twice with return folds,and sides having their edges engaging said folds, substantially asdescribed.

I. In a refrigerator, vertical strips in each corner, a removable bottomto the ice-chamber having central and side openings for aireurrents, abottom lining having a central opening for escape of cold air, and arear opening for escape of water, and upturned edges,folded at thecorners,ends having rightangle and return bends at their sides, sideshaving edges engaging said ends, said ends and sides resting in theangles of the bottom lining and bent outward at their lower edges,substantially as described.

5. In a refrigerator, in combination with a case, and a removabledrip'pipe, a staple in the case, and a downwardly-extended flexiblestrip attached to said pipe and having a recess to engage said staple,and a flexible arm engaging the case and yieldingly holding said staplein said recess, substantially as described. v

6. In a refrigerator, a shelf consisting of strips of sheet metal havingtubular edges, and connecting-wires inserted in said tubular edges andturning freely therein, substan tially as described.

7. In a refrigerator, a folding shelf consisting of strips havingtubular edges, and wires in said tubular edges turning freely therein,said wires being bent twice at right angles near the ends of said stripsand having lateral portions between said bends, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a refrigerator, in combination with detachable sides and bottom, abottom lining having upturned edges, and side linings folded at theirlower edges to extend upward adjacent to said upturned edge, thence overthe same, and thence downward upon the outside of the same, whereby saidbottom and side linings are detachably interlocked, substantially asdescribed.

9. A knockdown refrigerator consisting of two ends,a front, a back,a topframe and cover, and a bottom, all detachably secured to each other andforming a case, a detachable drippipe, detachable shelves, and anice-box bottom, and an ice-box lining consisting of a bottom lininghavin g upturned ed ges,and two end plates and two side plates, two ofwhich plates have folded edges forming grooves engaged by the edges ofthe other two plates, substantially as described.

10. A knockdown refrigerator consisting of two ends, a front, and a backdetachably secured to each other and forming a case, a drip pipe, abottom, shelves, and ice-box bottom, detachably supported within saidcase, a top frame supporting the cover and detachably secured in place,a bottom lining and side linings, said bottom lining having folded edgesforming grooves detachably engaging the lower folded edges of the sidelinings, an ice-box lining consisting of a bottom lining having upturnededges,and ends having right angle and return folds forming grooves, andside plates having edges detachably engaging said grooves, said ends andsides having their lower edges bent outward and resting in the angles ofthe bottom lining, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES H. LEONARD. LABS H. SOLOSTI'I.

lVitnesses:

LUTHER V. MoULToN, Lnwis E. FLANDERs.

